The Archer's Daughter
by MiyukiGainsborough
Summary: Natasha is gone for almost a year and when Clint finds her, he discovers exactly what has been keeping her away.
1. Chapter 1

**MiyukiGainsborough: **This is so late! D: I promised forevers ago that I would write this fic but with all the stuff going on at home I haven't been able to. Here is chapter one finally!

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Clint knew as well as anyone else that Natasha almost never made a mistake during a mission. Actually, it was as if she was almost one step ahead of everyone else. This time, however, a mistep almost severly injured her. The archer had just barely looked to her after firing an arrow into an enemy's chest to see her stumble a bit a look like she was about to be sick. Seeing an enemy running to swing on her, Clint slid in front of her, taking a bullet straight through the shoulder. Thankfully, Natasha was able to regain herself quickly and protect him until backup SHIELD forces came.

Back aboard the hellicarrier, the dirty blonde haired male was rushed to the emergancy ward and the female assassin was right behind him. She stuck by his side while the SHIELD doctors worked on his wound though she said nothing, not even soft, comforting words or a sweet smile for her love. Clint didn't need it though, his tolerance for pain quite high. He was more worried about her and wondered why she had suddenly stopped mid-battle. Neither he would say anything while the his shoulder was being taken care of knowing she would not answer any of his questions at that moment.

When the procedure was over and the doctors were out of the room, Clint looked to Natasha and asked, "What happened, Nat?"

"It was nothing," she answered, giving only a tiny smile. "I got dizzy. We've been working a lot. Maybe it's time for a break."

He didn't want to argue but something felt off to him. She wasn't going to tell him and there was nothing he could do to make her. Giving an inaudible sigh, Clint turned to the food tray that had been brought in only a couple of mintues before. He couldn't remember when he had his last meal so he was going to cherish every bite of the steak and eggs under the silver cover; one of his most favorite meals.

A wave of the food's smell hit Natasha's nose and she stiffened, feeling her gut toss and turn. She stood from her seat, left a kiss on Clint's temple, and quickly walked out of the room. It was only a moment did he look at the door in confusion before digging into his food.


	2. Chapter 2

**MiyukiGainsborough:** The support for this within twenty-four hours of it being posted was amazing! Thank you for the love!

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It was a good couple of hours before Natasha came back into the hospital room where Clint now sat reading that month's copy of National Field Archery Association. He smiled to her and closed the magazine and nodded his head to Fury who stepped in behind the red headed woman. "Bad news for you, Agent Barton," he spoke, "Looks like you're going to be on temporary leave until that arm heals up."

Clint gave a groan though he knew he would have to stop working for a while. However, he did manage to catch the way the Director spoke the sentence. There was more to it. "And?" he sang for him.

Fury gave a sigh and rubbed his forehead, Natasha stiffing up just a bit, obviously knowing what he was going to say. "Agent Romanoff will be heading back to Iran to finish up the mission."

The archer shot up, taking a second to groan at the pain that shot through his shoulder, and shouted, "Back to Iran?! You're going to send her back out into that while I'm stuck in a bed? This is what happened when there were two of us on the battlefield! Natasha, you can't go out there until I'm healed!"

Natasha placed her hands on Clint's back and chest, forcing him to relax back again. "I'm not going onto the battlefield. I'm going undercover. You know, one of the things I do best," she told him.

"But Nat-," he tried to argue but she shushed him.

"I'll see you when I get back home." She stood from her chair and kissed the male's forehead. "Rest up and don't let Stark get you into any trouble while I'm gone." Despite his attempts at talking her out of leaving, she left the room as if she never heard him.

"Sir-" Clint tried to protest to Fury but the older man simply raised his hand up, telling Clint to just stop. As the Director followed after Natasha, Clint sunk further in his bed, almost pouting. He didn't want anything to happen to her but knew he couldn't just keep worrying. She was one of the best agents in SHIELD and the world.


	3. Chapter 3

**MiyukiGainsborough:** I'm sorry for the delays in posts. The holidays were pretty busy and I just have not been able to write for awhile. Please enjoy.

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Nothing seemed to really keep Clint busy while Natasha was gone, not even visiting Tony and 'getting into trouble' with him. His mind was always on the red headed assassin and worrying constantly on if she would be caught. Of course, he knew he shouldn't worry about her holding her own but that didn't stop it. The only thing he could do was look forward to the calls from Nat when she had a spare minute. Both of which were simple and almost the same. She would say she's doing alright and tell of how her day was. Nothing more on that. She'd listen to his simplified day, leaving out anything and everything having to do with SHIELD, then they would exchange 'I love yous' and end it there.

After four months of Natasha being on mission, Clint was getting frustrated having to wait for her. No mission Natasha had been on took her so long, even undercover. She was always got things done quickly. He would later ask her on the phone when she would be coming home to him but the answer wasn't exactly what he wanted.

_"It's going to be another seven months, Clint."_

"Tasha...seven months? Why is this taking so long?" He didn't want to sound aggravated but knew his emotion was slipping into his voice. Still, Natasha chuckled softly and told him that he just had to be patient. There was still plenty of work for her to get done.

However, after seven months, Natasha was over a week late returning home. Clint had been patient up until the week mark hit and she wasn't home. He, of course, was quick to confront Fury about the matter.

"Sir, has there been some kind of extension on Agent Romanoff's mission that I have not been told about?" he asked. While he did not expect the Director to just blurt out the status of an agent's mission to just anyone, he hoped he would be an exception considering his relationship with Natasha.

Fury looked at the archer then turned to a tablet that Agent Hill was handing him. "An unexpected last minute extension, Barton. She has been moved to Moscow for a secondary part. I promise you'll be the first to know when the job is over," he answered, his eye on the information on the screen in his hands.

Clint cocked his eyebrow and took a second to think about what he had been told. "T-Thank you, sir," he replied, nodding his head, before turning on his heel and making his way back into the main hallway. Once he was a good ways down the metal hallway, his pace got faster, new thoughts and ideas in his head. _'Moscow, sir?'_ he thought to himself. _'Just what the hell are you and Natasha keeping from me?'_


	4. Chapter 4

**MiyukiGainsborough:** I seriously love checking my email hours after posting a new chapter and seeing lots of reviews and new follows and favorites. Thanks for the love! Also, sorry this chapter is a bit rushed and kind of lame.

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Fury had not caught on quick enough. By the time he discovered Clint was gone, the archer was already halfway to Moscow. The moment he had been told there was a last minute extension on Natasha's mission, Clint knew something was up. Everyone was keeping a secret from him and he knew her mission had something to do with him but even for the whole flight he couldn't even get an idea of what could be going on behind his back. Numerous times he had the thought that maybe he was wrong and that he was doing something stupid but when Fury messaged him an address, his thoughts changed. The Director wouldn't message him an address just to meet him and get him to go back to the hellicarrier. No, Fury would gather him himself if he didn't want Clint to find out what was going on.

He didn't waste any time when he arrived in Moscow. Clint hailed a taxi and gave the address to the driver. "Just get there," he had said to the driver, passing the man a wad of cash. The elderly driver gave a nod and drove Clint exactly where he wanted to go, not having said a single word to his passenger. Normally he would have asked what brought his passenger to Moscow and keep up a friendly conversation for the duration of the ride but he could tell that Clint didn't want to talk.

X

Clint stared at the large building as he stepped out of the cab, mumbling, "An apartment complex." He gathered his things and entered the building. The message from Fury had the apartment number on it so he was thankful he didn't need to talk to anyone. He just wanted to see Natasha and figure out just what was going on.

As he rode the elevator to the fifth floor, his mind tried to get some kind of idea of what was going on and when he made it to the door with the number he was looking for, he suddenly lost all thoughts. What exactly was he going to say when she answered the door?...She was going to be pissed.

Taking in a deep breath, he reached out and knocked on the door. "This is it," he told himself in a soft exhale. He could hear footsteps approaching the door, followed by the locks clicking. His hands rubbed together from nerves.

When the door opened, he met eyes with his red-headed teammate. She stared in shock at who stood at her door and stuttered, "C-Clint? What are you doing here?" She looked tired, like she had not been getting any sleep and also like she had put a bit of weight on.

"What is going on, Natasha?" he managed to spit out. He able to reign himself now and his tone reflected that, becoming stern and strong when he spoke.

"Come in," Natasha sighed and stepped back, allowing him entrance to the apartment. Her eyes were to the floor as he walked in and she knew she looked guilty of what she had done. "Since your here there is something you need to know."

Clint walked into the small apartment and while he could have noticed the television playing Natasha favorite movie or the sink in the kitchen was filled with soap bubbles and dishes, the first thing he noticed was a wooden circular crib at the bottom of the bed. His body went cold as he seemed to drag himself over to the crib. Inside was a small, pink baby with a light brush of dirty blonde hair on top of its head sleeping peacefully. He wanted to look to Natasha and demand an explanation but he couldn't tear his eyes from the child.

"Her name is Nedeah...She's your daughter..."


	5. Chapter 5

"My...my daughter?" Clint stuttered, his eyes still focused on the beautiful child sleeping peacefully in the crib. "I...We have a daughter?" At that moment, he didn't know whether to be angry or happy. Even just sleeping, the child looked much like Natasha with similar serious eyebrows and full lips. He wanted to laugh a bit as the little one had a nose much like him and the bit of hair she had was the same shade of his.

The infant's face cringe into a grumpy expression and she let out a light cry. Clint stepped back a bit, completely confused on what was going on and what he should do if he should at all. He heard Natasha chuckle softly from behind him then caught sight of her moving next to her. She reached into the crib and picked up the softly sobbing child and cradled her lovingly in her arms. "Shhh, Nedeah. Мать здесь, любовь моя," she whispered, slipping into Russian. She moved to the small rocking chair by the couch and started to rock back and forth, trying to hush the child. "You must be hungry." She took up a piece of fabric that was draped over one of the chairs arms and used it to cover her chest while she fed the child. It wasn't that she was bothered by Clint seeing her exposed but it was more of habit out of respect of other people.

The archer moved around the couch and sat on the end closest to Natasha and the baby, watching both. "Why did you keep this from me?" he asked, finally able to bring out his voice. His tone held a bit of hurt in it as he didn't understand why Natasha pregnancy and their daughter had to be a secret kept even from him.

The female assassin's thumb rubbed along her daughter's arm as she looked down at the floral covering. "I believed I was pregnant before we even went out on the field in Iran but I didn't know until later. I had the doctor's run a test while you were in surgery. While you were eating, I went to get the results and after discovering they were positive, I went to Fury to have him give me a fake assignment so I could come here to Moscow," she admitted. Inside, she was dreading telling him the next part but knew her had to know. "I didn't want you to have to go through the pain of losing your child. The Black Widow Program sabotaged every one of the girls' bodies. We're not supposed to be able to carry a child to full term."

"Natasha..."

"I had planned that, if by some crazy miracle, I had the baby, I was going to give it up. Work is first, Clint." She knew it was a cold thing to say but she had always seen her work as first in her life. Even when Loki was captured and she could force him someway to release his control on Clint, she made sure to stick to finding out his true intentions instead. Yes, she loved Clint with all her heart but she had to keep her head...She had to keep the world safe and Clint was apart of that. She always believed a child would keep her from work.

This upset Clint of course and made him slam his fist on the edge of the couch. "Damnit, Natasha! You can't just keep something like this from me!" He tried not to raise his voice but it all angered him. "You would think that I would be there to comfort you in a time like that. If I couldn't handle the pain any couple could or has gone though then I never would have asked you to marry me! She is OURS! You and me made that little girl and she is OUR miracle!" He saw the wide-eyed, almost innocent expression on Natasha's face and moved to kneel at her feet. "We can keep working for SHIELD. Our job is to keep the world safe for everyone including her," he told her, moving just a bit of the fabric to see his daughter's peaceful face as she fed from her mother. "I want to be able to come home to this face everyday."

Natasha could only smile to the man kneeling before her. She felt so foolish now. Everything Clint said was only the obvious truth and she wished she could have see it sooner. "Nedeah, Я когда-нибудь говорил вам, что ваш отец является супергероем?"

Outside, it had begun to rain. Umbrellas went up and the people without umbrella's dashed to find cover. Standing on the sidewalk at the front of the apartment complex stood a man in a fine tailored black and white suit, holding a dark green umbrella. His shoulder length black hair was slicked back like always and his bright blue eyes looked up to the exact apartment widow where he knew Natasha and Clint were with their child. "Eheheheheh," he cackled in a devious tone.


	6. Chapter 6

**MiyukiGainsborough: This is a small chapter but I wanted some fluffy, baby bonding time for the new parents before I got to the drama and action.**

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Clint had moved back to the couch and started to watch television while Natasha finished feeding Nedeah. "Oh," he heard Natasha whisper, "She fell asleep." He looked over to see Natasha placing the cover back over the chair's arm and adjust her shirt. Sure enough, the infant was asleep once more, looking just as peaceful as she had been when he first entered the apartment. "Do you want to hold her?" she asked, making his eyes snap back to hers.

"H-hold her?" he stammered, looking back and forth from her to their daughter. "Would she wake up if you move her?" He knew next to nothing on babies but wasn't sure how Nedeah would react to Natasha moving her.

The red head slowly stood up and walked over to Clint, the child still fast asleep. "She'll be fine as long as you don't talk too loud...or start dancing with her?" she said with amusement in her voice. The baby was only a little over a month old and already Natasha felt like a good mother. She was feeling better about having the child now that Clint had helped convince her that they should keep her. She had grown very attached over the course of the pregnancy and had a feeling this would have been the result as she had put off finding adoptive parents after only a few months of being pregnant.

She knelt carefully down and placed Nedeah into Clint's arms. For having never held a baby before, he cradled her perfectly the first time. Clint still looked worried about holding the baby. He seemed to stiffen up and just continuously looked to Natasha then Nedeah. "Relax, Clint. Look," she pointed down, "she's still asleep." She moved to sit next to him on the couch and noticed he actually started to relax a bit more now that he saw the infant looked just as comfortable in his arms as in her mother's. "She's likes it when I talk to her in Russian. You should try it. She needs to learn her father's voice."

One hand calmly moved to Nedeah's cheek and gently brushed a single finger along the smooth skin as he whispered to her. "Папа ... Папа здесь, Nedeah. Папа тебя..."

Natasha could only smile as she leaned her head on Clint's shoulder, watching the father have his chance to bond with his daughter. Within only a couple of minutes, the tired mother was also fast asleep with the comfort of her lover at her side.

A tiny smile came to Clint's lips as his eyes filled with tears. "Папа здесь ... Папа любит тебя так много ... Я всегда буду защищать тебя, мой маленький."


	7. Chapter 7

**MiyukiGainsborough: I just can't stop telling you all how much I love all of your support! This has quickly become my most successful Clintasha fic. I've had people ask of the Russian translations. I used google translator for them so you should get the perfect translation from that. Btw, I absolutely LOVE reading reviews from fans so please leave some for me! Thank you and enjoy!**

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The rain had gone from a light drizzle to a downpour that lasted all through the night. By the time the sun came up, it was once again a drizzle, making anyone's drive or walk to work pleasant. Inside of the small apartment, a certain green-eyed assassin was already wide awake, packing up silverware and glasses from the kitchen.

Natasha gave a sigh of relief as she finished taping up a cardboard box on the kitchen counter. "It's going to be nice to return home. Well...to the headquarters." She peeked out at Clint who was sitting at the end of the bed, in just boxer shorts, cradling little Nedeah, the infant cooing happily in her father's arms. Already, Clint seemed much more comfortable holding his daughter as at that moment, he was cradling her with one arm while the free hand wiggled in front of her and lightly poked her nose. "When I talked to Coulson, he said he would make sure there was a nursery set up for Nedeah by the time we return to headquarters. He'd even make sure to talk to the Director about getting one set up in the hellicarrier."

Clint laughed and laid Nedeah back in the crib as she let out a joyful squeal. "I'm sure the Director would be just as attached to our little girl as Coulson will be." From her spot in the kitchen, she could hear her lover move into the bathroom and start the shower. "After all, who couldn't fall in love with a face like that?" echoed his voice from the bathroom.

The mother moved over to the crib and peaked in, staring into green-eyes that matched hers. "Crazy people," she said, "Only crazy people could not fall in love with you, my hope." She knelt and gave a kiss to her daughter's cheek before moving back into the kitchen to continue packing the little items she owned. For once, Natasha felt like she had a normal life.

X

"Is she going to be alright on the plane tomorrow?" Clint asked, wiggling his index finger which had Nedeah's tiny fingers wrapped around it.

"Yeah," she answered from her spot in the bedroom. "I double checked it last night." He could hear her rummage through something then curse, "Shit!"

He tried to turn his head to see her from his spot on the couch. "What's wrong?"

She tossed a diaper bag onto the bed and sighed, her fingers moving to the bridge of her nose. "I have to run to the store. We're low on diapers and wipes." She moved into the living room and started to pull her shoes on.

"I'll get it for you," stepped up the archer. He took his finger from Nedeah and carefully passed her to her mother. "I need to learn this stuff anyway." He seemed pretty excited to just be making a simple run to the store but Natasha agree that he did need to learn how to shop for his little girl. "I'll be right back. Папа тебя любит." He left a light kiss on Nedeah's head then on Natasha's lips before pulling on his jacket and leaving the apartment.

X

The brunette archer gave a laugh to the elderly woman at the end of the hall. "Спасибо. Я дам ей знать." He peeked into his grocery bag to double check that he had both diapers and wipes for Nedeah. In his left hand was a bouquet of pink roses, an impulse buy from a younger woman near the store. He loved to do anything to bring a smile to Natasha's face.

Upon entering the apartment, his own smile dropped. The apartment was a wreck; furniture torn into to pieces, holes in the walls, Nedeah's crib turned over, and Natasha unconscious on the floor. The grocery bag and flowers fell to the floor as he rushed over to Natasha and picked her up. "Natasha! Natasha!" He swiftly looked around the apartment. Nedeah was nowhere to be found.

A light ringing started to go off in his pocket and, with no hesitation, the phone was to his ear. "Director, some-"

"Barton, we have a problem," interrupted Fury. "I have Thor here with me. Seems Loki's escaped from Asgard."


	8. Chapter 8

**MiyukiGainsborough: Once again, thanks for all the love. Seriously though, reviews really inspired me to get straight to work on a new chapter [though all the follows I already have give some of that as well.] Forgive me for all the use of Russian in the beginning of this chapter. I used Google translator for all of it so that will most likely give you the most correct translation.**

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Nedeah cried loudly as her mother moved around in the kitchen prepping a prepumped bottle for the little one as she needed to get her used to using a bottle and not attached to Natasha everytime she was hungry. "Я знаю! Я знаю! Мать так медленно!" Natasha whined back as she screwed the nipple onto the bottle. "Она просто так означать, что заставил вас ждать. Я знаю, любовь моя." She chuckled softly and moved over to her daughter's crib as the child continued to scream. "Хорошо, Nedeah, время на завтрак."

Just as she was about to reach into the crib to pick up her baby, there was a knock on the door. "О, отлично," she grumbled under her breather before looking back to Nedeah. "Матери скоро вернусь."

With aggravation in every step, Natasha walked over to the door, bottle still in hand. "If it's that damn landlord bitching about something else, I swear..," she mumbled. However, upon opening the door, it wasn't the dwarf-sized, elderly Russian woman like she had believed. No, this guest, as you could call him, was 6'2 with slacked back, black hair and mischievous blue eyes. This guest was not from her world.

"Ah, Miss Romanoff, it's nice to see a friendly face," he greeted in a cool tone. His eyes perk up over the top of the red-haired woman's head and peeked into the apartment. "A baby? My, you have been quite busy in my absence. Barton's right? I might be just a bit jealous." He gave a small pout and slightly tilted his head to the side.

"Loki," Natasha hissed, holding her body in a position, ready to attack him. "How did you escape Asgard?"

Loki brought up his left hand and twisted his wrist, waving the hand in a circle. "Now, that is really not important. What _is_ important, Agent Romanoff," He quickly grabbed for her with his left hand which Natasha easily knocked away, however, couldn't dodge his right hand in time as it clasped around her neck, "is revenge...starting with you and Barton, the weakest in this little troupe you call The Avengers."

No matter how hard the assassin fought against him, she couldn't break out of his grip. '_He's stronger...but how?!_' Slowly, she could feel herself being raised off the floor. The bottle in her hand finally slipped out and crashed on the floor, spilling the contents everywhere.

The god stepped inside, keeping a good grip on Natasha, and shut the door behind him. He moved though the apartment and over to the white crib where Nedeah continued to cry. "Well, isn't she cute. I see she inherited Barton's hair color. I really believe your lovely red locks would pass on but I'm sure she has your eyes." The wailing child's eyes opened to look at the stranger who was staring back for a just a moment, making him snicker. "Ah, I was right."

He continued to move about the small apartment, still holding Natasha up. His grip was tight but not enough to cut off her air supply. "How long has it been since we've last seen each other, Agent Romanoff? Hm?" He smiled and tilted his head to the side like before. "A year and a half?" He swung her down quickly, slamming her into the small coffee table and shattering it underneath her.

His grip stayed strong as he lifted her back up and met eyes with her once more. "It's really felt like much longer." As if she weighed nothing, Loki threw her across the apartment where she slammed into the wall and landed on the bed. "Being stuck in a prison, time seems to go by much slower." He slowly stepped over to the bed, stopping at the crib. "You really are just adorable," he said to the screaming Nedeah, reaching his finger in and wiggling it over her.

Natasha groaned and slowly pulled herself up, blood dripping from her head and down the right side of her face. "Don't..Don't touch her, you monster!" she shouted. She picked herself off the bed and rushed towards him, fist ready. She was caught before she could even land the punch, her wrist in Loki's large hand.

"Where are your manners? Everyone else gets to hold the baby but Uncle Loki isn't allow to touch her. A bit rude if you ask me." He swung his arm, throwing Natasha into the living room and right into the tv. "I think you're losing your touch, Agent Romanoff. Eheheheheh." Bending at the waist, he reached into the crib and picked up the infant with one arm. "Hush, hush, dear. I won't harm you," he cooed to the child.

From behind him, Natasha had gotten up once more and rushed to attack him from behind. Still, he was much quicker and stronger, taking her by her wrist once more and swinging her back into the wall over the bed. "Now...Nedeah, I believe it was, come spend time with your beloved Uncle Loki." With a simple wave of his hand, the god disappeared and the room became silent with the lack of infant cries.

"N-Nedeah!" Natasha called out weakly as she crawled across the bed. "Nedeah! No!" She moved to the crib and struggled to look inside, as if she believed the child to still be inside. "No!" she sobbed, moving herself over the crib as she shouted for her daughter. The crib tipped over, sending Natasha rolling over it and onto the floor. "Nedeah...," she whimpered once more before falling into unconsciousness.


	9. Chapter 9

**MiyukiGainsborough: I have been super excited to bring in the rest of The Avengers! Yes, it's been awhile since the plot of the movie and they should have probably recruited more people by then but I say nay!...for now...But another note, I did my best to channel my inner Avengers for this. I personally think I captured Tony the best in this with his quick spoke, run on sentences. I can definitely hear Robert Downey Jr's voice when I read his part. Anyway, enjoy.**

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The main sector of the hellicarrier was quiet, minus the hum of the carrier's engines, and eyes shifted around, everyone wondering who was going to speak first. Clint was seated next to Natasha whose head was being bandaged after all the blood was cleaned. The nurse that was bandaging Natasha's head was pushed away by the female assassin who placed her elbows on the large table and laced her fingers together. "Let's start by asking the number one question," her eyes shifted to Thor who had refused to sit down and was standing by Fury, arms crossed, "How did Loki escape prison?"

All eyes moved to Thor as the God of Thunder had yet to explain that detail to anyone, having wanted to wait until they were all assembled. "We had underestimated the strength of Loki's magic and it seems he had carefully switched placed with the guard that was in charge of his meals. Bound the poor man in the same shackles that held him and used his magic to switch their appearances."

At the last sentence, Clint's hands clenched into tight fists and just about growled his words. "Do you know how long he has been free?" No, he didn't blame Thor or anyone else in Asgard as it was something that could not have easily been caught.

Dropping his head a bit, the god shook his head, sad that he could not answer the question for his friends. Natasha immediately responded for the man, "Long enough for him to train up his magic and boost his strength. He's stronger then when we last fought him...a lot stronger..." She rolled her left wrist, remembering, very clearly, the pain that had shot through her arm when he grabbed her.

Tony stood from his chair and started to pace around to Thor and Fury, his hands spread in his usual speaking manner. "So, Loki has returned _by himself_ this time and decided to kidnap your baby, which, by the way, you never even told us you were pregnant and I am greatly heartbroken that I didn't get to throw you a shower." For a mere second, he made a pouty face to Natasha before returning to his normal, serious Stark expression. "Why on Earth would he take a baby? I mean, what use is a baby to the God of Mischief?" he hummed, tapping his index finger on his chin.

"Seems the God of Mischief isn't behind torture. A sort of 'play with your food' kind of thing for him," chimed in Steve from his spot at the table. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see both Natasha's and Clint's eyes widened, shocked that he would even say such a thing. "T-torture to you emotionally. I'm sure he won't hurt the baby. Right, Thor?" he stuttered just slightly, quickly glancing over to the blonde god.

"Of course not," he answered. "My brother may be misguided with his beliefs but he would never harm an innocent child." Though he had to remember when Loki sent The Destroyer to kill Thor when he was powerless. He did not care then about the people who were caught in the middle of the battle. Thor had been glad no innocent had actually been killed that day.

From the seat that had once been next to Tony, Bruce cleared his throat as he thought about everything that had already been said. "He seems confident in his power this time around. We haven't heard word of Chitauri or any other kinds of aliens around. He's either keeping them hidden for now or he's really working alone."

"If we wait it out for a day, maybe we can see what his true plan of action is," Fury chimed in from his spot next to Agents Hill and Coulson.

"Wait it out?!" Clint jumped up and slammed his palms on the top of the table. "That manic kidnapped my daughter and you want us to **WAIT**?!" He looked to Thor for a moment. "You said he wouldn't harm an innocent child but you also didn't know he was going to go insane and do the shit he's done!"

"Agent Barton, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down." Fury held his hand up as he tried to cool down the angry archer.

Just as Clint was about to berate the Director, he felt Natasha's hand fall gently onto his. His head shifted and he looked down to her. A simple shake of her head made him keep his mouth shut. "He won't hurt her," she tried to assure him but knew he still wouldn't believe it.

Steve placed one elbow on the table and shifted his body to face the couple. "**One** day. We just need to see if he's planning on unveiling some big army or try to steal some kind powerful, magical weapon. None of us want to see anything happen to your baby but we need to be careful."

In anger, Clint slammed his palms on the table once more and pushed himself back. Both hands moved to his hair and tugged aggravated at the locks as he stormed out of the room. He barely had twenty-four hours with his daughter before she was kidnapped and now he couldn't even save her yet. "Loki's getting more than an arrow through his eye," he bellowed before the automatic doors shut behind him.

Natasha sighed and shook her head. She was doing her best at keeping her own anger under control but found it difficult with the mix of a migraine hitting her from her wounded head. "Just...just figure out what we're going to do the twenty-four hours are up. One plan if he has an alien army and a second plan if he's alone. We can't be unprepared."

With that said and done, Natasha stood from the table and decided to take her leave. She wasn't too sure where she wanted to go inside the large hellicarrier. The thought of talking to Clint came to mind since she knew the two places he would most likely go to in that mood but that was the last bit of stress she wanted to put on herself. Instead, she just walked down the large hallway in silence, passing agents and other works she had not seen in a year, some she had even never seen before.

"Natasha!" called a voice from the door she had walked out of. She stopped walking and turned to see Coulson approaching her. "I wanted to show you something."

X

The ruby haired woman stepped into the room and couldn't help but smile. It was a nursery. Coulson had actually convinced Fury to create a nursery for Natasha and Clint when they returned. Though Coulson knew Nedeah was a girl, he still made sure the room wasn't painted a shockingly bright shade of pink. Instead, the walls were a light grey, a similar shade to Clint's eyes, and pure white but all the accents were a blush pink. The crib was against the left wall and even from the door, Natasha could see that the sheets were pink. There was even a fluffy white bunny plush sitting in the crib.

"This is beautiful, Coulson." She seemed to glide through the room as she looked around, settling in a perfect sized, oak rocking chair resting in a corner of the room. "Thank you so much."

The smile on her face was all Coulson wanted to see in such a rough time and he was glad that he was able to bring one to her face. He stepped across the room to where she sat and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You'll get her back in no time."


	10. Chapter 10

**MiyukiGainsborough: **Forgive me for the halt in chapters. I'm working on actually posting more. I've pretty much gone from The Avengers fandom to the Boondock Saints fandom so I've had some trouble shifting back and forth.

XXX

Natasha was silent but her blows to the punching bag were still hard. The bag swung every time she hit it whether it was a quick punch to the front or a kick to the side. She stopped mid-punch though and stepped back, one hand going to her head. It was probably still too early after her run in with Loki to be putting that much stress on her body.

"Lady Natasha," called a deep voice from the door of the gym and, upon looking that way, Natasha saw it was Thor. "Is that really a good idea right now? Your body has been weakened after your fight with Loki."

Natasha chuckled and delivered a kick to the punching bag with her right leg. "He has my daughter. If no one is going to let me hunt him down yet then I'm not going to just sit around doing nothing," she replied through pats, looking from him to the bag. "It's either do this or try to sit down and read something and I have too much built up to do the latter option."

She swung her left leg up to hit the bag but felt it stop before it could make contact with the maroon colored leather. Thor's large hand was wrapped around her leg and a stern look was on his scruffy face. "Lady Natasha...spar with me instead," he offered.

Her eyes stayed on his, her teeth nibbling at her bottom lip. He was stronger than her, much stronger, but this challenge...oh, how she couldn't pass it up.

x

Steve peeked into the SHIELD bar, a standard bar set up, much different then the briefing room he had just come from, with a dark blue and gold color scheme. There were only a few agents sitting inside, all who were just off their shifts for the day and taking the time to relax. Sitting at the mahogany bar was Clint who was slamming down shots of some gold-colored liquid. From where the Capitan was stand, he could tell that Clint was already drunk.

He walked over to his friend and took a seat next to him. "Is that really a good idea right now?" he questioned the Hawk. "We're trying to work out a plan to save your daughter."

"Then why are you here, Cap?" the man just about hissed back, picking up his beer and drinking the rest of the liquid.

Steve propped his elbow up on the bar top and turned to Clint. "I'm here to get you. I know that you're hurting right now but the sooner we plan, the sooner we can go after Loki and rescue Nedeah."

Clint chuckled and shook his head. "I don't think you need me to be there while you plan. Plans get made up and I'm told to get to the highest point with the best view. Hawkeye is only best when he's at a distance, right?"

"Clint, you're drunk. Come on. Let's get you sobered up. The longer you sit here whining in a bottle of whiskey, the longer Loki has his hands on your child."

He reached out to place his hand on the man's shoulder only to be quickly knocked away. "Whining? I'm not whining!" Clint shoved Steve with what strength the alcohol would give him and, because it was unexpected, almost knocked the blonde man from the bar stool. "I don't need you to sit here and give me a pep talk!"

"Don't start a fight you know you'll lose, Clint," Steve warned him.

x

A lavish condo in the middle of New York City. Who would even begin to think Loki would hide out there with the child of the two best assassins in the world? Then again, the last time Loki had been in their world, he had played a very different game. He wasn't after world domination this time. No, he just wanted revenge.

Nedeah's large green eyes stared back at the black-haired man, curious to who he was but not bothered by this stranger anymore. "Well, you are a lovely child. Not too noisy, easy to put to sleep. Seems you're just as trained as your mother is," the god chuckled deeply, rocking the infant in his arms as he stepped around the apartment. Oh, a good stab at Natasha and she wasn't there to hear it. "Now that I have you, there's no doubt that either of your parents will act irresponsibly just to get you back. Sadly, that foolishness will be their demise."

"I never took thee for a lover of children," a deep feminine voice came from the other side of the room.

When Loki brought his eyes up from the child in his arms and to the direction where the voice came from, he came to find a dark-skinned woman sitting in the recliner, a blood-red cloak over her shoulders. The clothing she wore was partially visible in the opening of the cloak and it was in a similar fashion to his. "Look at this face, Aster," he cooed gently, tilting his arms a bit so the woman could see Nedeah better. "Is she not a beauty? How could one not fall in love with her?"

Aster's face stayed straight as she looked from him to Nedeah who stared back with slight confusion. "She greatly resembles her mother," she replied before shifting her eyes back to him. "Now tell me...why have you called me here, Loki?"


	11. Chapter 11

**MiyukiGainsborough: **I suppose I should thank you all for being patient with me. I'm having such a hard time getting out of writer's block with my fics.

XXX

Natasha leaned against the wall of the gym, panting heavily, beads of sweat dripping down her face as she looked over at the Asgardian God leaning against the other wall. "You let me win, didn't you?" she asked him though she didn't need an answer. She was good at hand-to-hand combat but there was no way she was able to beat an** Asgardian God**.

The blonde male chuckled and stood up, one hand brushing through his hair. "It would not have been very gentlemanly of me to have won that fight," he responded as he walked over to the woman. He looked down at Natasha and placed his hand on the top of her head. "Though you are much stronger then when we last battled Loki. I am quite proud, Lady Natasha. I promise you, we will get her back soon." He gave a light pat then removed his hand. A gentle smile came to his lips before he exited the gym.

The Widow's hand moved to the top of her head where the God's had once been and she let out a light laugh. With a soft exhale, she picked herself up from the wall and took up a white, hand towel. As she started to wipe the sweat from her face, she heard Coulson call her name from the comm in her ear. "What is it, Coulson? I'm about to go take a shower," she responded. She listened to the man's simple sentence before gave a light groan. "I'll be right there.

x

The moment Natasha stepped into the SHIELD bar, she saw Clint's fist fly and connect with Tony's jaw. Though there was a decent amount of force behind the drunk man's punch, Tony wasn't knocked back and still worked to calm down his fellow Avenger while Steve grabbed Clint's free arm to make sure he couldn't get in another hit. "Clint!" Natasha's stern voice shouted. Normally, if she had ever raised her voice, everyone either froze or hid. This time, while everyone else stopped, Clint still tried to struggle in Steve's grip as if he didn't hear her.

She stormed over to the group of men, Tony jumping out of the way the moment she was within a foot of him and Steve releasing the archer to be taken care of by his lover. Her strong hand grabbed Clint's arm, twisted it around before she slammed him, face first, onto the nearest table. "What the hell do you think you're doing?" she hissed, holding him firm against the table despite his struggling. "Wait. Don't even answer that. Our daughter was kidnapped by some lunatic and you want to get drunk and start fights with your friends? Straighten up, Barton!"

Clint stopped moving and stared out at nothingness. Though he was still drunk, he understood every word she had said and was quick to realize that he was acting like a fool but he was honestly scared, not of Loki, but of losing his child, the child that Natasha had believed she would never be able to have. "I'm...sorryyy," he slurred sadly.

"You should be, Barton," a different voice called. To the best of his ability, Clint looked behind him and saw that was not Natasha holding him down but Loki, a devlish grin on his pale face. "You're wasting time aren't you? I still have your baby."

x

Clint inhaled sharply as his eyes snapped open and looked around the room only to stop as he found he was dizzy and had the worst headache. He was still drunk but not as much as before. He wasn't in the bar anymore but in his room on the hellicarrier. "Clint, it's okay," a soft voice said. He watched Natasha's hand reach out and gently stroke his cheek. He relaxed as his eyes met hers, enjoying the touch of her smooth skin and trying to calm his nausious stomach.

"Nat...what happened?" he asked, bringing his own hand up to run through his hair.

She pulled her hand back and placed it on her lap. "You tried to start a fight with Steve. When he tried to defend himself but still try to keep you from hurting yourself, you ended up smacking your head on the bar. I made it just in time to see it happen." She wanted to laugh at the memory but she knew it was no time for that. Clint would not have been drinking so heavily if he wasn't so worried about Nedeah.

"What if he's already done something to her? What if we're too late?" he started to ramble, his voice cracking just slightly. "What if-" He left out a sigh, he eyes filled with tears that he refused to shed. "You thought you would never be able to have her and now she's been taken. I don't want you to have to live with that fear again."


End file.
